California State University, Dominguez Hills will honor 49 faculty members for contributions to their field and service to the university during the 2013 Faculty Awards reception on Thursday, March 14, at 5:30 p.m. on the fifth floor of the South Wing University Library. The event is open to all faculty, staff and students.

“CSU Dominguez Hills takes seriously its mission to provide our students with opportunities to learn, grow, and excel,” said University Interim President Willie J. Hagan. “Students attending CSU Dominguez Hills fulfill their dream of obtaining a college degree and achieve personal and professional success thanks to the efforts of our outstanding faculty. I look forward to paying tribute to truly remarkable individuals and honoring their extraordinary contributions.”

This year four individuals will be honored at the reception with the university’s highest honors to faculty. Christopher Monty, assistant professor of history, is the 2013 recipient of the Lyle E. Gibson Dominguez Hills Distinguished Teacher Award, given in recognition of a faculty member’s exemplary teaching in their field, and their active interest in presenting that material in new and creative ways that generate intellectual enthusiasm among their students and help progress them as individuals. The Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity Award, which acknowledges the professional activities in which faculty engage that demonstration their position as experts in their disciplines as well as play an important role the intellectual stimulation and motivation for student learning, is being presented to Matt Mutchler, associate professor of sociology and director of the Urban Community Research Center. And two faculty members, Mary Lou Cappel, professor of recreation and leisure studies, and Naomi Moy, former director of reference services for the University Library, each are receiving the Excellence in Service Award for their contributions to the institutional growth of CSU Dominguez Hills, as well as professional activities that extend beyond the walls of the university.

The event also serves to recognize milestone anniversaries, beginning with those who have reached the five year mark, all the way to three individuals this year who have been teaching at CSU Dominguez Hills for 30 years. In total 46 faculty members will be recognized for their combined 430 years of dedication to the students and campus.

Additionally 198 faculty members will be recognized for their participation in the Affordable Learning Solutions initiative, which is coordinated through the University Library and offers information and assistance to faculty seeking to provide their students with alternative low-cost course materials.